Why is it important to treat baby teeth that have cavities instead of just pulling (extracting) them or letting them fall out on their own?
The front primary (baby) teeth typically don’t start falling out until the age of six or seven and the molars in the back don’t fall out until 9, 10, 11, sometimes even as late as 12 years old. The primary teeth help hold the space for the permanent teeth and guide them in as they erupt. If a primary tooth is lost early, the teeth in front and in back of that space can tip/move into the space leaving insufficient room for the permanent tooth to erupt. Typically if a tooth with a cavity remains untreated, the cavity will continue to grow and eventually will reach the nerve of the tooth. Once the cavity is in the nerve, the tooth will start to hurt and eventually the nerve will die and the tooth will become infected. Infections can spread from the inside to the outside of the tooth, into the surrounding bone. Eventually, if bad enough, the infection can spread to other parts of the face causing facial swellings, fevers, etc. In severe cases dental infections can even become life threaten
Related Questions
- Why is it important to treat baby teeth that have cavities instead of just pulling (extracting) them or letting them fall out on their own?
- Why is it so important to treat baby teeth if they are going to fall off and get replaced by adult teeth?
- Should a childs baby teeth cavities be filled? Or let it fall off & wait for permanent teeth to maintain it?
